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Sportradar Announces Agreement to Acquire IMG ARENA and Its Strategic Portfolio of Global Sports Betting Rights

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 Will Strengthen Company’s Global Offering for Most Bet Upon Sports Including Tennis, Soccer and Basketball     

Expected to Accelerate Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow Growth and Will Be Accretive to Adjusted EBITDA Margins   

Sportradar Group AG, a leading global sports technology company focused on creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. to acquire IMG ARENA and its global sports betting rights portfolio. IMG ARENA’s portfolio will enhance Sportradar’s content and product offering and further strengthen its strategic position as a leading content provider in the most bet upon global sports, including tennis, soccer and basketball.

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Adding these betting rights to its content portfolio increases Sportradar’s depth and breadth in key global sports, expanding the Company’s content distribution and further fueling product development. With its highly scalable technology platform and extensive client network, Sportradar will seamlessly integrate and monetize these rights driving incremental value for clients, partners and shareholders.

Upon closing, the acquisition will provide a number of key benefits:

  • Enhances margins: Immediately accretive to Sportradar’s adjusted EBITDA margins, aligning with our disciplined investment approach;
  • Accelerates growth: Further accelerates Sportradar’s robust revenue, adjusted EBITDA and cash flow growth;
  • Unique structure: Sportradar will not be required to pay any financial consideration; Transaction provides financial consideration totaling $225 million comprised of $125 million paid to Sportradar and up to $100 million cash prepayments made by Endeavor to certain of the sports rightsholders;
  • Highly strategic portfolio: Basketball, soccer and tennis account for approximately 70% of the rights which are the top three most bet on global sports, complementing our existing sports portfolio.

This incoming portfolio of global betting rights comprises strategic relationships with over 70 rightsholders covering approximately 39,000 official data events and 30,000 streaming events across 14 global sports on six continents. Prominent global properties include Wimbledon, U.S. Open, Roland-Garros, Major League Soccer, EuroLeague basketball and PGA Tour. Combined with existing tennis rights, Sportradar will now hold betting rights to three of the four Grand Slams.

The unique structure of this transaction will further strengthen Sportradar’s already robust balance sheet and enhance its significant liquidity position, allowing for continued strategic investments and opportunities for incremental shareholder returns, including an anticipated acceleration on the pace of its existing buyback program.

Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar, stated: “Sportradar’s success is driven by the breadth of its sports coverage, its broad product portfolio and leading technology, and its global distribution network.  Given our proven track record of maximizing ROI through our global betting rights deals and our strengthened position across tennis, basketball and soccer, we are confident in our ability to realize the full economic potential of this portfolio. In addition, the unique structure of this transaction accelerates our revenue and cash flow profile and will be immediately accretive to our margins. The addition of these strategic rights will unlock new growth opportunities, enabling us to deliver exceptional value to our partners, clients and shareholders.”

The transaction is currently expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of closing conditions. UBS Swiss Financial Advisors is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Brandl Talos served as transaction counsel to Sportradar.

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Aquisitions/Mergers

Pavilion Payments Acquires CasinoSoft

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Pavilion Payments, the leading omnichannel payment solutions provider in the gaming industry, has acquired CasinoSoft, a trusted leader in Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Title 31 compliance, automated tax form processing, jackpot handling and regulatory reporting software. Together, they are building a unified solution that simplifies and modernizes gaming operations.

“We have put 20 years of our heart and soul into building the CasinoSoft brand and are thrilled with the many ways this acquisition moves us to the next level. The success of our robust suite of AML/Title 31 and tax form products is evidenced by the longstanding partnerships we enjoy with our many satisfied customers throughout the industry,” said Matt Montano, Principal and Owner of CasinoSoft.

The new offering combines Pavilion Payments’ seamless player funding and payment ecosystem with CasinoSoft’s industry-leading compliance and automation software. The result is a powerful, vertically integrated platform that streamlines floor, cage and slot operations, making them faster, easier and more secure for casinos, route gaming as well as iGaming and sportsbook operators.

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“CasinoSoft is the industry standard for AML/Title 31 compliance, automated tax forms, jackpot processing, and associated reporting services. With this acquisition, we plan to grow the broader Pavilion business with several new patents, innovative products, and transformative solutions that position us as the clear leader in fintech payments, cashless gaming, cage, and floor automation,” said Diallo Gordon, President of Pavilion Payments.

For more than two decades, CasinoSoft has helped casinos streamline Title 31, AML, tax forms and jackpot workflows, keeping operations audit-ready and freeing up staff to focus on the guest experience. By joining Pavilion Payments, CasinoSoft expands its ability to deliver end-to-end compliance and payment solutions within a single, connected system, reducing manual steps and increasing automation.

“At Pavilion Payments, we pride ourselves on offering our partners and customers a vibrant and diverse portfolio of products and services. The addition of CasinoSoft’s products to our lineup furthers our delivery on that goal. We’re delighted to add CasinoSoft to our team and look forward to delighting our customers with them,” said Dan Connors, CEO of Pavilion Payments.

The post Pavilion Payments Acquires CasinoSoft appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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OPAP Acquires the Remaining 15.51% Stake in Stoiximan

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OPAP announced the acquisition of the remaining 15.51% stake in Stoiximan (the Company) for a consideration of €191.6 million on a cash free debt free basis, plus an adjustment for net cash as of the closing date, increasing its ownership in the Company to 100% (full acquisition).

The investment further strengthens OPAP’s leading position in Greece and Cyprus, while also intensifying its strategic focus on online sports betting and iGaming segments.

OPAP initially invested in Stoiximan in 2018, prompted by its high-growth potential, and gradually increased its stake through two subsequent transactions in 2020. Today, Stoiximan holds an undisputed leadership position in the fast-growing online market, validating OPAP’s strategic investment over the years.

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Stoiximan will continue to be supported by Kaizen Gaming with cutting-edge technology and a differentiated product offering, ensuring a seamless user experience, top-notch reliability and innovation.

Completion is anticipated in the third quarter of 2025, subject to approval from the Cypriot regulatory authorities.

OPAP and Stoiximan will continue to operate as separate businesses under their distinct licenses, brands and management teams.

Jan Karas, Chairman & CEO of OPAP, said: “The investment in Stoiximan has greatly contributed to solidifying OPAP’s position in the Greek and Cypriot online markets. I am therefore very pleased with the recent transaction, which further expands our footprint in the fast-growing online market. Looking forward, we are confident that our dual brand strategy will remain effective and both our brands, Stoiximan and Pamestoixima.gr, will sustain their growth momentum.”

Nikos Fligos, CEO of Stoiximan, said: “This milestone marks a new chapter in Stoiximan’s journey. With the dedication and passion of our 300-strong team, who are the driving force behind our market leadership, we remain fully committed to delivering outstanding experiences to our customers, shaping the future of online gaming in Greece and Cyprus.”

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DoubleDown Interactive Enters into Agreement to Acquire German Social Casino Operator WHOW Games

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DoubleDown Interactive, a leading gaming company delivering exceptional player experiences across multiple genres, announced that it has entered into a Share Purchase and Transfer Agreement with Azerion Tech Holding to acquire WHOW Games GmbH, a social casino developer headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.

The initial consideration for 100% ownership interest in WHOW Games is €55 million (approximately $64.7 million). An additional earn-out payment of up to €10 million, payable to Azerion at €5 million annually, is contingent upon WHOW Games meeting certain performance targets during each of the first and second year following the closing date. The acquisition will be financed through DoubleDown’s cash reserves and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2025.

DoubleDown intends to leverage WHOW Games’ proven expertise in the Europe market and partner-driven business model alongside its own operational strength, marketing capabilities and extensive gaming content to pursue growth opportunities in Europe, particularly in Germany. According to research from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming LLC, the European social casino market grew in 2023 and 2024 as compared to the overall market which has entered a mature stage. WHOW Games offers a versatile portfolio of social casino apps with proprietary brands such as MyJackpot and Lounge777 as well as third-party labeled social casino offerings including Merkur24 through strategic licensing agreements with prominent global brick and mortar casino companies.

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In Keuk Kim, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said: “This acquisition marks a significant step toward increasing our competitiveness in the growing German social casino market. Leveraging our combined operational expertise and enhanced scale, we aim to unlock valuable synergies. We are delighted to welcome the WHOW Games team to DoubleDown and look forward to working collaboratively on initiatives to drive growth across the business.”

Giovanni Valerio Valeriota, Chief Executive Officer of WHOW Games, said: “We are excited to begin this new chapter as part of the DoubleDown family. Their deep expertise in gaming makes them a natural fit for WHOW Games, and we believe that this partnership will accelerate our growth and innovation. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Azerion, whose support and strategic guidance during our time together has been instrumental in shaping WHOW Games into the strong and dynamic company it is today.”

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